Many years ago while traveling from Utah to California and then up the coast to Oregon and then back to Utah via Nevada, I really got to thinking about how to entertain the kids.  You see, at the time the boys were about 8 and 10 years old and that is a tough age to keep their interests up in the travel.  Adults have a tough time staying focused on the sites as they pass by, but kids don’t have much of a good time, mostly because A: They don’t want to be there.  And B:  They want to be somewhere else.

So, knowing that in advance my wife and I decided we would play a game with them.  We were all on the look out for trash, animals or something we decided on when we started out.  The first to see the thing got to call out the next thing we would all look for and on and on the game went.

Well, that passed the time for several hundred miles and then it got boring and back to the “Are we there yet”, stuff.

Well, a year or two later one of my nephews and his family were about to embark on a long trip across country.  They had children ranging in age from  6 to 13 and that is quite a spread for a nice and comfy trip anywhere, yet alone a long hot summers drive to Aunt Tildas place.

So, I made him up some “Road Kill Bingo” cards.  Using card stock and my excel spreadsheet I came up with “most likely” things that they might encounter on their road trip.  Since they were heading toward Southern Utah and Northern Arizona (I just made that up), they needed animals like, coyotes, deer, elk, antelope, skunks, raccoons, mice, cougars, domestic cows etc.  You get my drift and if you are making up your own games, think about where your travelers are starting from and where they are going.  You won’t find any armadillos, alligators or possums in Idaho.

The game cards quickly filled up and still had spaces that needed filling.  So, I started filling them in with road side trash.  Empty cardboard box, milk jug, box springs, couch, lawn chair, bungee cord etc.  Pretty soon the cards were all filled up and ready to be printed.

I gave them the stack of cards and some bingo markers and off they went.  Later they told me the game had the kids all excited until about halfway to their destination and once one or two of the kids started to fall asleep from the constant looking for their next road kill item, the car got really quiet.  Not a bad thing in my opinion.  Suddenly after many, many miles of the car being so quiet, my nephews wife yelled out “DEAD COW”  BINGO”!!!!!  The vehicle came to an abrupt awakening and she won the game!

Sound like fun?  It is!

Bears Butt

July 2011…..enjoy your next trip with the children!

A big hearty THANK YOU to Donell Anderson and his family for cutting and baling this years crop of grass hay!  Excellent job!  1716 bales of some of the best grass hay in the state.

Today and tomorrow morning and it will all be at its new homes.  And then at 3 p.m. the annual “feast of beast” meal prepared by Dee and the rest of the folks who can help with the effort.  Not a small undertaking when you consider they are preparing 50 pounds of beef and 50 pounds of pork.  Plus hand peeled potatoes for the mashed spuds, and a large pot of home made “drippins” gravy and all the salads, rolls and desserts.  MMMMMMM!  YUMMY!

Drinks are on us!  Lend a hand and join in the fun!  Betcha can’t beat Bones at horse shoes!!!!

Bears Butt

You did not know this, but your eyes are right now, the same size as they were when you were born.  Your nose and ears continue to grow as you age!

Check out other things like this at this address:

http://wackyuses.com/wackyuses.html

Have you ever wondered where the word “Windfall” came from?  We have all heard the term and most of us associate it with the receipt of  “out of the blue, money”.  Perhaps a rich relative who left us some of his/her estate or the winning of a lottery.  Here is my take on it.  I like to think way back to where a statement or word might have come into play.

My thinking takes me back to Europe where the people were basically classed in one of two classes.  “The Haves”.  The” Have Nots”.  Almost like today if you think about it.

All of the land was divided up among “The Haves” and the “Have Nots” worked for them, keeping the boundaries repaired, yards cleaned, and whatever other duties “The Haves” wanted them to do.

Back then the homes were heated with wood and fireplaces were the main heat and cooking area within the shelter of the home.  Castles of course were the homes to “The Haves”.  None of the land was free for the “Have Nots” to wander on, have picnics or for any pleasure of their own.  On the other hand “The Haves” could do anything they wished upon their own land, so long as they did not cross the border onto the adjacent “Haves” property.  Wars have been caused by such as that.

Trails, roads, pathways etc. wandered through “The Haves” properties and those were rights of ways for everyone to travel on.  “The Haves” could not stop you from using the path to go into town or between towns.  The old story of Robin Hood comes to mind doesn’t it?

With wood being in such demand by everyone, a “Have Not” could not just go out and cut down a tree and use the wood.  NO! NO!  That tree belongs to one of “The Haves”.  Nor could a “Have Not” pick fruit growing along side the trail.  That tree or vine filled with delicious fruit legally belongs to a “Have” person.

But “Haves” don’t eat fruit that has touched the ground.  They are very much above that habit!  Fruit which has touched the ground is dirty, bug infested and nasty.  Probably nearly rotten.  YUK!  As a “Have” would you eat fruit which had fallen from the tree and hit the ground?  Never!

And so, “The Have Nots” got together and petitioned the “Haves” for permission to gather up fruit which had fallen from the tree or vine.  It did not take long for “The Haves” to decide it would be a good thing for the “Have Nots” to pick up the fruit along the trail.  It would keep their own horses hooves from getting all sticky and such from stepping on the rotten fruit in the road.

And along with the fruit a later petition was filed to have the original petition for picking up fruit, also include the picking up of wood that had fallen into the roadway as well.  Of course the “Haves” were in full agreement with this, because the wood was making their wagons bump and jar as they traveled the road.  Now the roadways would be clear of fruit and wood and make their journey to town much better.  And the “Have Nots” would still be working for the “Haves” in a very much round about way.

So, one might ask how does the fruit and wood get into the roadway in the first place?  Those little devils of the “Have Nots” would shake the trees and cause the fruit and wood to fall.  Totally illegal, but we know they did it.  Or, on the legal side, the wind would cause it to fall…and so…Windfall!

That is my story!

Bears Butt

July 2011

After much thought, I decided to post up the entire interview with Sir Butt, so that folks don’t have to go through the hastle of scrolling down to the first of the series of posts and reading backwards to get through the interview.

I will probably do the same with the current series from Sir Butt Traveling Through the Land.

Bears Butt

Just got done cutting the hay for this year.  With all of the rain we had during the spring and late spring there was only one week of watering and man o man did the grass grow!  It looks to be a better than average yield this year.  Lots of clover mixed in with the grass and timothy.  A fine horse hay and those that have pre-arranged to pick it up are in for a treat!  Sorry folks…it’s all sold.

Bears Butt

With all this talk about the Crawford Mountains and the fabulous deer hunting there, we have among us “ONE” who has been selected to represent the Willow Creek Free Trappers in that very area this Fall.

Who is it?  Who is it?  Who is it?

None other than our very own Dry Dog!!!!!  The La Chosen One!  Say a few words to us Mr. Dog!

Next year for you No Grimace and Baby Boy…Next Year!

Bears Butt

I sure thank ALL OF YOU who attended the muzz shoot yesterday.  We had 56 shooters and a total of 77 in attendance at the shooting event.  It was the largest turnout in the history of the event!  An incredible show of support!!!!!

The total collective donation of  $540 will be given to the Willard Fire Department!  A healthy sum I might add!  Thank you all again for the support.

The wind gave us some fits and tore portions of the range down several times during the event, but our spirits remained high and we finally got through the 6 events that were scheduled.  Thank for all of the help in range maintenance during the day.  Also, thanks for my two biggest helpers Monie “Bones” Westley and my wife Sherry “Winemaker”!  No way could I have done it without you two.  I love you guys!

I’m pretty sure everyone had a good time, I know I sure did.

Thanks again to Muskrat for providing an American Flag and leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance!   A very fitting event on such a beautiful 4th of July in America!

A special THANK YOU to Arnell Wells for allowing us to use his property East of town to hold this event.  Thanks also to Granite Construction, Willow Creek Free Trappers, Smith And Edwards, Maddox Ranch House, Larry’s Service, Kendall Chambers, Jiffy Lube, Georges Tires, Doug “Magpie” Eames, Adrian “Scottsman” McNair, Bobs Bait….who did I forget?  I’m very sorry if I missed someone  who donated prizes for the shoots and/or the raffle.  Whip me!

This event not only saw a record turnout, but it also saw 5 bowmen and women, competing heads up with those shooting blackpowder rifles!  The bowmen even took prizes home in two of the six events!  The abilities of these bow”people” was incredible to watch!  The wind was so tricky for them they worked as a team to let the person shooting know exactly what the wind was doing and when to release the arrow.  I was totally in aw!  Good job folks!

Again THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

Bears Butt

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!

You are probably wondering why I posted a Christmas Wish video right now.  Well, I just finished a story about the Chosen Ones Dream Hunt in the Crawfords from last year 2010 and I wanted to include the Christmas Wish video in it, but I couldn’t.  So it was a test on my part to see just how difficult it was to post up video to this blog.  It’s not hard, I found out.

Well, so, you get to enjoy a Christmas Wish in July!  Believe me, when we did that video last December, it was VERY COLD up on that ridge!  It was done just for you to enjoy!

Bears Butt